Science Wonders

Stage 4 of 5

SPS

The Super Proton Synchrotron expands beam energy and stabilizes timing. It is the final injector stage in this chain, linking the injector complex to the LHC.

Input

25 GeV proton bunches

Process

Large-scale synchrotron acceleration and final transfer prep

Output

450 GeV proton bunches

Energy

~450 GeV

Interactive simulator

How the beam moves through this stage.

Transfer optics and gap filling are reduced to one final synchronized push.

Particleproton
Energy~450 GeV
Beam formatbunch

Scale note

Much larger ring envelope than PS

Key terms

RF cavity, Synchrotron, and Superconducting magnet.

What happens, in order

  1. 01Input25 GeV proton bunches
  2. 02ProcessLarge-scale synchrotron acceleration and final transfer prep
  3. 03Output450 GeV proton bunches

Key terms: RF cavity, Synchrotron, and Superconducting magnet.

Quick facts

Technology
Large synchrotron
Chain position
Last stage before LHC

critical energy boost

Output
LHC injection beam
Distance cue
Conceptually one of the biggest rings in the chain

Record sources

What anchors this machine page.

Guided tour

Guided learning path

A four-step arc: follow the beam, see the aftermath, compare with spacetime signals, then test your intuition.

Continue · See the collision aftermath
  1. 01 · You are here

    Follow the beam

    Start with the injector chain so the rest of the site follows a physical sequence.

    Open
  2. 02 · Next

    See the collision aftermath

    See which detectors catch which particles after a collision.

    Open
  3. 03 · Next

    Compare with spacetime signals

    Switch to gravitational waves: tune mass, distance, and noise to find the signal.

    Open
  4. 04 · Next

    Test your intuition

    Short quizzes on accelerator ordering, detector choice, and signal tuning.

    Open